


soft unspoken words

by Allypromise



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, i mean a lot of fluff, mike and el are hopelessly in love, mike wheeler is a romantic, who will never stop loving el hopper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14718968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allypromise/pseuds/Allypromise
Summary: mike reflects on the year that el was missing while on his way to visit her





	soft unspoken words

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this, comments are appreciated <3

Mike didn't mourn el’s loss

If he did then it would mean that she was gone, gone forever, never coming back and mike couldn't stand the idea of that

Saying goodbye would make this feel all too real and he wasn't ready to say goodbye, _he never would_

That night, after his body was slammed  against the cold, hard drywall in the middle school, after he screamed her name from the top of his lungs begging for her to come back, after he stared at an empty wall, waiting

He felt nothing except for emptiness surrounding his thoughts, complete and utter nothings.

He felt distant as if he was witnessing everything that occurred from afar, away from everything. Everyday felt exactly like that for the first few weeks, like he was falling down the rabbit hole towards loss and memories from that night hit him like a ton of bricks.

“ _Goodbye, mike_ ”, those two words proved to be the main focus of his thoughts. Her last words were the only words that mattered, the only words that ran through his mind on a daily basis. Night after night, circles formed under his eyes from staying up under the blanket fort, patiently waiting to hear some sign.

Afraid that if he fell asleep that he would miss her, hearing her voice in the back of his head, imagining seeing her every time that he passed the street that he found her that night, drenched in the pouring rain.

The night he met her and completely changed his life.

He felt crazy for keeping hope, _denial_ was a better term. He told himself day in and day out to move on, But when he heard static coming from his radio and a faint whisper of a voice, he knew

He jolted up, repeating her name, clutching onto the plastic of the radio.

El knew she was forbidden from contacting him. _“Its for your own good”_ , she heard repeatedly. She just needed to say something just once, hearing the agony in his voice. He waited for her every night and, she had no control and had to watch him mellow in sadness, heartbroken

When he heard the subtle voice, he knew, he felt insane for even thinking it was her voice but to hell with sanity. Hearing that whisper of a voice lit him up inside, giving hopeful eyes. Maybe.

Even though some nights the realization hit that he could be just talking to a wall, completely going crazy, he didn't care. Talking through the intercom, he felt a connection to her somehow. He closed his eyes and imagined her safe, the thought comforted him

The thought of her being taken by the void of darkness ate at his sides, not knowing if she did in fact implode in oblivion, just like that. The unknown scared the shit out of him and there was nothing he could do but he knew that somehow, someway she was out there even if he didn't know where.

He felt a draw as if she was sitting right beside him. As if she was laying down onto the blanket fort, starry eyed, listening to every word he spoke. As the weeks turned into months, he counted down each and everyday that she was missing. He was fearful of the thought, _“what if this is in my head”, what if he was crazy enough to dream up an amazing girl with telekinetic powers, it’s more realistic then said girl actually existing_ But he shook away all doubts,

she was el, his el

She was pure and real, every single part of her.

He found himself writing notes to himself so that he would never forget any part of her. He kept a box full of notes that read every single thing that he adored, missed about her

He wrote down his pain, admiration and everything between through a box of notes, hoping one day, he’d have the chance to give them to her. And after the longest wait he’s ever endured, the night she came walking through the byers entrance, she gave him that chance and so many more.

He remembered that night exactly like it could replay in the back of his mind and he could give every detail from the scent of the room that smelled distinctly of joyce’s perfume and dead demogorgon. He watched as the girl that he waited for exactly 353 days entered his life. his heart pulsed at a speed too fast to measure and he lost all train of thought.

In the shortest period of time, he went through all ranges of emotion, quick bursts

Surprise. Joy. Confusion. Pain. Relief.

Emotions that he didn't even know existed ran through his body as he saw the girl that he called, walk through the door looking very different but at the same time, exactly the same.

Yes, the way she dressed changed dramatically, scuffed up black clothing matching with gelled up hair but she had the same deep chocolate eyes matching a sad smile, pale pink lips inching up, showing her hidden dimples.

He felt everything that had built up over the period that she was missing slowly dissolved, he felt as he was being levitated towards her as he embraced her into a bitter sweet hug, knowing that soon she would have to leave soon as she had done before but he pushed all thoughts out of his mind

Taking in everything that was, el,- the smoky smell that escaped from her torn up coat, drips of black eyeshadow rolling down her face from tears welling up in her eyes, hair slicked back, caused by hair gel that induced a stingy scent

He felt as if he let her go, she would never come back. the thought came back to him as she left towards the impending danger. _What if that was the last time, the last time that he would ever get to hold her_

His leg jittered uncontrollably as he waited, hearing murmurs around him, possibly coming from either dustin or lucas, he couldn't tell,- telling him to “relax”. He ignored everybody as he felt numb and powerless, a pit in his stomach growing as he had no choice but to wait for the bright aura of headlights to shine through the byers household.

On a day like this, all those feelings rush back to him as she rides to the cabin, feeling the cool mid-winter breeze hit him with force, whipping his hair every which way. he remember the directions that hopper had told him that night when they arrived. Hopper knowing that it definitely wouldn't be the last time that he would see the wheeler kid.

He watches as he passes through patches of woods until he meets the turn, where hopper had told him to carry his bike from there.

He watches to make sure he wasn't followed as he finds a bulky tipped over tree stump, big enough to hide his bike behind it, hiding any evidence that anybody ever came along this way. Once he hid his bike successfully, he walks along the route he was told until he comes along a one-story oak cabin. He carefully stepped over the thin tripwire that he had been warned about and quickly sprints up to the porch of the house. Creaking as he stood in front of the door, picking at the loose thread in his pocket as he knock onto the door,

_knock, knock_

He froze still as the door open wide, standing a tired looking, hopper Hopper sighed, “do you know what time it is, wheeler”, at which mike resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him-- he knew it wasn't his fault for keeping him and el apart for so long, he just wanted to keep her safe but it doesn't erase the pain it caused him over the period of time.

“Is el here” mike asked, pulling the thread more and more, nervously

A heavy sigh left hoppers mouth, “of course she’s here”, “where else what she be” Mike stared blankly, as hopper looked down at how the boy had grown, by height and maturity, going through such traumatizing events can do that to a boy and he knew that

He gestured for him to walk in and they both stepped into the middle of the living room. he looked around the room, it was small but roomy enough, embellished with just enough decoration to make the room seem cozy. He noticed how there were books scattered around, obviously not hopper’s. The realization that this was el’s home hit him out of nowhere.

She actually lived her for a year, making this place her new home. She slept, ate and laughed here, she finally was beginning to have a normal life

Hopper and mike stood in silence for awhile, nothing but the awkward sound of the wood floor creaking and quiet breathing. Mike placing his weight from one foot to the other, “so do you think i can go see her”

Hopper looked at his watch that read _8:25 am_ , he let a heavy breath and gave a short nod, “okay, you can see her but i’m timing you boy” tapping onto his watch “i’m giving you 20 minutes and that's it” Mike nodded, giving a quite fearful look as hopper just chuckled, relaxing him a bit

“Go ahead, she’s been non-stop talking about you” hopper shook his head, jokingly at the boy who was very much blushing at the comment As mike started walking, hopper saw that he was holding a small white shoebox that he failed to notice when he first walked in. _that boy is to sneaky for his own good_

Mike carefully walked through el’s room, looking around to see everything that she kept over her year in hiding, a few books, some blankets and a small tv-- thinking back to the time that felt so long ago, when he showed her around his house, eyes lighting up to every new item he introduced her to. He placed the box onto a small round table she had in the corner of her room and walked closer to where he saw el, sound asleep, a light snore sounding the room

Then It just hit him, _what are you doing watching her sleep, she’s going to wake up any moment and realize what a freak your being, just leave and come back when she’s actually awake,_ He turned to leave as he ran into, what seemed to be one of her shoes and tripped making a ruckus, not even two seconds later he heard a whisper of a yawn followed by el slowly sitting up and noticing a very bright faced, mike wheeler

_shit_

El felt a rush of excitement rush through her as she basically sprang off her bed, following mike onto the carpet.

She sat on her knees in front of him, radiating joy but also a bit of confusion, “mike, what are you doing here and on the floor”, tilting her head

“Well i, see what i was doing was,-” he blurted, “ i came to see you” he murmured

She rose up, pulling mike with her, “i missed you too”

If he could write a list of reasons why she made him feel the way that she did, On top of that list would be that he never had to explain anything to her, she just understood immediately

She pulled him into a hug like it was just a mutual understanding of everything that they wanted to say to each other. Everything that they had ever thought or was to afraid to say. He couldn’t put what he was feeling in word form if he tried They spend most of they time just being by each other's side, not needing to say a word to express their emotions, just peaceful silent and deafening unspoken words. Snuggled up together, her head crooked between his head, overwhelmed with happiness, knowing that after all those moments in the void, wishing and dreaming about being by his side

He was finally here

They were coming close to an hour, way past the time limit hopper had given them but he decided to give them some slack as he opened their door and saw them sleeping, side to side

He gave a half-smile towards her, remembering all the sleepless night he had, hearing her cries but too afraid to do anything but attempting to comforting her, terrified of losing her,He slowly backed away from the door to give them a little while longer

* * *

 

Mike woke with a pile of frilly curls covering his face, he grinned at el, who’s snore was buzzing in his ear and had her arms wrapped around his neck.

He half-heartedly struggled to get out of her grasp, placing a sweet, gentle kiss on her forehead and leaving the hopper residence. He jumped on his bike towards home, the shoebox completely forgotten

About 30 minutes after mike left, el awoke again, feeling warm and content she planned on getting something from the kitchen when a small white shoebox caught her eye. She picked up box which was very light in weight, she lifted the lid and what she found was-- Hundreds of little white, tear-stained notes.

She felt a gasp die in her throat as she noticed in tiny, black letters wrote, _: from, mike_

she ruffled through the notes and saw a bright contrast compared to the majority of the bright white paper, a vivid pink scrap of paper, folded neatly in a square She delicately unfolded it, to not rip the thin piece of paper that read--

“ _i hope your reading this when i’m not there, if you are, well then this will be a little awkward_ ” El giggled, “mouthbreather”, as she continued

_“When you were missing, i thought i was going insane, imagining you were there when you weren't, hearing your voice in the back of my head. I was in fear that, as crazy as it might sound, i would forget you which now i know is far from the truth, i wrote notes about everything that reminded me of you and kept them in this box”._ She felt tears well up in the corner of her eyes, fogging up her sight but she kept on

“ _Now that your back, i feel like i don’t need them anymore and thought that there would be nobody better to have them than the girl i wrote them for”_ el read the note over and over again, on repeat in her head

Looking back to a jar that sat on the corner of her window seal, filled to the top with colorful folds of paper


End file.
